Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-11
NEW YORK LETTER.
CONFESSIONS OF AN 0PIux-EArER-
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
How BE Conquered the Habit-Finan-
ciers-A Great Esme"-A Dan
ger-Lilly's caprices.
rcorresnondence Of The Richmond pispatch.

who call at late hours to set something
10 buoy them up. A physician is regu.
larly employed in them to prescribe foi
people. The places are open every
hour of the year.
One evening several weeks ago a
young man, apparently about thirty
years old, visited one of these stores,
cautiously approached the prescription
counter, and called for ten cents worth
of gum opium. He was short and OF
full habit, but his pallid face and trem.
bling limbs indicated that he was far
from healthy. The clerk refused to sell
him the drug. The young man took a
silver box from his pocket, opened it,
and showed the clerk lump of brown
stuff about as large as a chestnut. IL
was gum opium "You see | am used
to taking it." said the young man,
"but | am pretty near out of it, and |
must have some more" The clerk still
declined to sell the desired article, say
ing "You have enough there to kill
three men. Throw it away and stop
taking it,"
"I'd give worlds II ] could" said the
Young man as he arose and YEARLY
walked ont Of the store. His eyes were
CLASSY and he walked ike one in a
dream. The days and weeks went by,
and the young man, emaciated and
weak but with clear eyes, entered the
same drugstore, and. recognizing the
clerk who had refused to sell him opium,
he shook hands with him and said "
thank you for doing me the greatest
kindness of lifetime when you de-
clined TO sell me any more OF the drug.
went home and resolved to stop taking
IL. / had been n slave to it for ten
years. 1t was O good resolve, but it
took nerve to carry it out.
"Tell me your experience" said the
clerk, as he took seat beside the
Young man. The latter. who kept ner-
vously moving his hands and feet as he
talked, recited his story of his strug-
Gle as follows: Z" | have read De Gum
cy's Confessions of an Opium Eater,
but / never perused the history of a
case like mine Ten years ago | suffer
ed severe attack Of sickness. When
/ became convalescent | was in such a
condition that my family physician had
to give me several different prescrip-
lions to buoy me up. None Of them
seemed TO do me any good. Finally
lie prescribed what proved to be a
broWnish, bitter solution. 1t afforded
me instant relief Before the medi-
cine was gone was called TO Chicago
on business. / asked the Doctor to
give me a prescription for the medicine
10 take West with me. but he refused
to do so.
Il was surprised, but ] Indignantly
Left him and took what remained OF the
medicine with me to Chicago. Once
there l went to a drugstore, showed the
druggist the contents Of the bottle, and
asked him if he could discover tue ma
ture Of the medicine and PIT me up
some more of il. lie smellcd and tasted
OF it. and asked me how long / had
been taking it. He looked very serious
when l told him, and then he said ;
You evidently DO not know what you
have been taking. The main ingredient
is opium. and you have apparently be
come q victim to the terrible habit Of
taking the drug. If the druggist had
felled me with club ] would not have
been more surprised. | went home and
resolved to DO without the medicine.
All the symptoms of the disease
which il had been given TO correct
returned, and ] suffered the fortunes
Of the damned. ! yawned constantly
and was unable to sleep. Finally /
went TO another druggist, told him my
condition, and begged him to sell me
some opium. He did So. took it.
and once more was at peace with all
the world. / increased the dose until
the effects of it made my ears feel rs ii
they were about TO burst. For five
years l made no effort to throw off the
terrible yoke Of habit that my physi-
clan had put about my neck. slept
sparingly in feverish fits and | ate
heartily, but grew more weak every
day. | never shall be able to describe
the awful dreams that haunted me
during the night. The haliucination
got place IN my mind that the habit
10 which / was a victim was great
snake cooled about my body and con
stantly tightening its folds. / would
dream that the head OF the monster
was darting back and forth before my
face and awake with scream. The
drug began TO tel on the action OF
the heart until | felt a sense of COM
preston about the chest. could not
relieve myself of the idea that this
pressure WAS due TO the clammy en-
4 Al, M. f.ff,It | aurp.lr a
from my holrid dream TO find myself
apparently dying. My heart was beat
ing at terrific rate, cold sweat stood
ont over my face, and | was in pre-
carious condition. l took great dose
OF the drug, but was unable TO retain
it. / was hike dismantled and rud-
derltss ship at sea in gale. called a
doctor, gave him the history OF my
case, and begged him to relieve me.
He gave me some aconite for my hear;
and some big valerisn pills Tor my
nerves. They had not the slightest
effect on me. My heart beat faster and
faster. The big snake was Tightening
It's embrace. Finally the doctor barred
my arm and injected solution OF NOR
phine into my veins. 1t brought relief
and in a week was able to feebly wall
about, but was obliged to increase my
allowance of opium to keep body ans
soul together.
A NEW PHASE.
"Then my case assumed a new phase
One night / awoke from my feariu
dream about the snake with tlutterinE
of the heart. The organ palpitated a
intervals of five minutes, and sent for
the doctor. He told me that l mus
cease taking the drug or die. He gave
me bromide of potassium to quiet m,
nerves, but it had no effect beyon.
making me feel as il l were going mad
/ gyly returned TO the use OF the drug
kent the silver box containing it II
nv bedside. One night i awoke ant
reached for the box. The nurse ha'
taken it away. No one was awake il
the house. Instantly my heart begal
10 beat violently and was all of trem
BILE. / felt as il should smother. Tn
snake had frightened its folds once more
and death seened imminent. The ship
wrecked man ON a raft at sea withou
food or water does not experience mor'
agony than l did when l found mysel
without the drug. j called loudly 70
help, the nurse came, and j begge1
him To get me the opium, He ha,